War Wasp
War Wasps are airborne insects inhabiting several planets in the ''Metroid Prime'' series. They are first seen in Metroid Prime on the [[Frigate Orpheon|Frigate Orpheon]] as a Space Pirate specimen. They rarely stray far away from their War Wasp Hive unless pursuing an immediate threat and will often attack without any regard for its survival. They can incapacitate most small organisms by injecting them with toxins from their stingers. Numerous strains of War Wasps exist, some of which possess unique physiological or behavioral traits. Despite these differences and the various planets they are featured in, Samus' Scan Visor categorizes them under the same species. Gragnols of Bryyo, the Mellows on Zebes and the various creatures spawned from Fly Pods on the BOTTLE SHIP share similar behavior to War Wasps. Locations ''Metroid Prime'' *Ruined Gallery *Ruined Nursery *Sun Tower *Arboretum *Main Plaza ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' *Echo Hall *Drip Moat ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' *GFMC Compound *Sacred Path *Torvus Transport Access *Temple Assembly Site *Communication Area *Sacred Bridge *Hall of Eyes *Path of Eyes *Meeting Grounds *Portal Terminal *Mining Station A Tallon IV breeds Standard War Wasp , Chozo Ruins.]] , Alinos.]] As previously mentioned, the very first War Wasp seen by Samus was kept in suspended animation inside the Frigate Orpheon in orbit above Tallon IV. It belongs to the standard blue strain, which is commonly seen on the planet below, specifically in the long-abandoned Chozo Ruins. War Wasps are aggressive, territorial and will go to great lengths to protect their hive, even attacking other organisms they deem a threat without provocation. A singular War Wasp will "scout" the surrounding Hive area for food. If another creature wanders too close, this recon Wasp will shriek loudly before quickly returning to its native Hive, where it will alert its brethren and come out in groups to attack the intruder. They attack by jutting their stingers against Samus. A few shots from her Power Beam can kill this base strain, however more individuals will ceaselessly spawn out from the nearby hive to replace the deceased ones until she targets and destroys the hive itself. War Wasps do not seem to exhibit any signs of intraspecific competition; many different Hives can exist within close proximity to each other in harmony. Ram War Wasp The smartest and fastest species of War Wasps on Tallon IV that reside inside the Hive Mecha. Easily identified by their red color. As a single intelligence, they carry out coordinated attacks to take out huge organisms by striking simultaneously from all sides. Barbed War Wasp The most aggressive species of War Wasps. Green in color, they have evolved the ability to launch their regenerative stinger at prey, which can be propelled at long distances. Barbed War Wasps live in nests above the Incinerator Drone in the Chozo Ruins. Alimbic Cluster breeds Standard |250px|left]]The basic War Wasp featured in Metroid Prime Hunters behaves identically to the standard Tallon IV strain, with very few physiological differences. Interestingly, despite this basic strain existing on both Alinos and Arcterra, planets with extremely different climates, no unique adaptations can be noted. Barbed War Wasp, Red Barbed War Wasp and Blue Barbed War Wasp The Barbed Wasps, on the other hand, have evolved into three subspecies in the Tetra Galaxy. There is a green variant, alongside red and blue mutants as well; the latter two have developed projectiles that reflect the climates of the planets they are found in, Alinos and Arcterra, respectively. Aether breeds Standard In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the basic War Wasp has a unique physical appearance from previous standard counterparts. They possess a head with a total of nine ocular organs, have no legs and their color are a mix of orange and purple. Spots on their abdomen resembling additional eyes can be seen. They can shoot weak energy blasts from their stinger, making this War Wasp somewhat of a mix between the basic and Barbed breeds from other planets. It is implied that PFC E. Denys was killed by these organisms due to his corpse looking down a hole containing these organisms. Dark War Wasps These Darklings are the result of Aetherian War Wasps being possessed by young Ing. The fusion alters their physiology. Additionally, they are more aggressive and their projectiles, which are slightly more potent, are launched faster than the natural variant's. Official data ''Metroid Prime'' Logbook entry Scan images WarWaspOrpheonScan.png|Scan image on the Frigate Orpheon WarWaspScan2.png ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' Logbook entry ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' Logbook entry ''Metroid Prime Pinball'' manual "Beelike creatures that like to attack in numbers." Official Metroid Prime website "War Wasps rarely stray from their hive unless pursuing an immediate threat. They attack with no regard to their own survival, dive-bombing enemies with stingers extended. The War Wasp's large abdomen hold fast-working toxins capable of incapacitating most small organisms. The War Wasp is a flying insect equipped with a venomous stinger capable of shearing steel. The War Wasp uses lightweight wings to quickly fly through the air, guiding itself with long antennae." Trivia *It is curious that some breeds of War Wasp found on several planets, such as those from Tallon IV and Aether, are radically different in appearance from each other, yet belong in the same species. This suggests that they share a common ancestor and somehow managed to travel to various worlds from an unknown origin point, adapting and developing different traits over time. It is known that the advanced, sentient races known as the Luminoth and Chozo crossed paths during their travels in space and exchanged knowledge among other gifts prior to settling on Aether and Tallon IV, respectively. They may have exchanged life forms as well, potentially explaining the War Wasps' presence across the cosmos. **Alternatively, the similarities in the creatures may be the result of convergent evolution, in which each life form in their respective planets independently evolved identical abilities and behavior. In the case of the War Wasps however, the shared traits may have been so imposing that they were simply grouped under the same name, despite their different origins. *The War Wasps seem to be heavily based on Earth's wasps in behavior. Both emerge from Hives, are highly aggressive insects and possess a queen. However, the existence of a "royal jelly" in the War Wasp species is a trait shared with bees. *The adult Chykka, the boss which defends the Dark Torvus Temple, is similar in appearance to War Wasps. *The prominent, bulbous abdomen of the War Wasp resembles that of the Plated Beetle. *According to former Retro Studios tech lead Jack Mathews, the AI that controls the War Wasps was the second to be programmed during the development of Metroid Prime, after the AI for Beetles.http://www.twitch.tv/crackdown/v/26606837 Gallery File:WWPINBALL.PNG|The War Wasps in Pinball appear to be Ram War Wasps. File:War_Wasp_Scan_Images_Dolphin_HD.jpg|War Wasp Scan in Metroid Prime. File:Early War Wasp model.PNG|''Metroid Prime'' model. es:Avispa Guerrera ru:Боевая Оса Category:Species Category:Frigate Orpheon Category:Tallon IV Category:Tallon Overworld Category:Chozo Ruins Category:Aether Category:Temple Grounds Category:Agon Wastes Category:Dark Aether Category:Ing Hive Category:Sky Temple Grounds Category:Alimbic Cluster Category:Alinos Category:Arcterra Category:War Wasp Family Category:Poisonous Flora, Fauna, and Fungi Category:Hive creatures Category:Recurring Species Category:Predators Category:Small Flyers